Mission 8

Tuesday, December 1, 1942    Tafaroui, Africa.

    Took off yesterday at 8:15 to bomb Bizerte again. We got to the target and couldn't see the target because of overcast. Some of the elements went in at a different heading and saw the target and dropped their bombs. We had orders not to release them if we couldn't see where they were going so we started back with them. All this was at 20,000 feet. On the way back we ran into some bad weather and a strong head wind. The strong headwind and a bomb load of 5:000 lbs. caused us to run short of gas and three ships from our squadron had to land at Algiers for the night. We loaded enough gas from 5 gallon cans to get us home and would have come on in if a B26 hadn't landed and blown out both tires blocking the runway until dark. Not having had anything to eat all day and tired from flying, we started out in search of food and a place to stay. We found the food but had to sleep in the plane which was very dangerous because that field is subject to bombing at any time. In fact, just a week ago tonight it was bombed, the 97th was there then, and a direct hit was scored on a B 17 with the whole crew aboard listening to the news broadcast over the plane radio.    I got a good look at an H.E. 111 that landed there thinking the Germans still occupied the field. it was a sloppy looking fighter but it has dealt us plenty of hell.    We got up this morning and took off early and arrived here about 9:00. Because we still had our bombs, we didn't have to load any and with a maintenance crew to pump our gas in, we haven't done a darn thing all day. I did manage to find a bed with some springs and the first chance I have I'm gonna look for some straw and stuff a mattress full of it.    We had steak for dinner tonight, Oh Boy!

    I shaved for the first time and took a real shower, cold water, this afternoon and feel like a new man. It was really a job cutting that growth off.